Journey into the Unknown
by JSRobertson
Summary: FS-1 is forced down on an island by an enemy from Lee's past. Will he along with Chip and Janet be able to stop him from taking over the island but who will pay the consequences. Please note this story follows "Family Forgotten".


Reviews are always welcome and will receive a reply back.

** This story follows _Family Forgotten._**

Journey into the Unknown

By JSRobertson

Dear Diary,

It's been a very difficult and emotional time for me so I wasn't ready to write. But I thought I better catch up.

((()))

_Seaview_ returned from a charting mission early Tuesday morning and as usual, everyone had left the boat except the admiral, Chip, Lee and I. For once we didn't have any missions scheduled for a couple of weeks and no planned upgrades to her, just routine maintenance. After being gone for several weeks we all knew there would be plenty of work to keep us busy at the institute which is why we probably all lingered on the boat once we docked.

((()))

Riley and I did get the inventory finished which took the majority of the charting mission. Thank goodness we got it done; Chip was practically foaming at the mouth for the data. I put everything on a spreadsheet so we could now easily track when anyone took a part, nut, bolt, screw, or anything from stores. I created a form they needed to fill out and Chief would collect the slips and bring them to me for input in the new system. Hopefully we won't have to take a total ship inventory again for quite awhile. I couldn't believe all the stuff on that boat. The only items we didn't inventory were Cookie's food items and Jamie's sick bay. They both kept tabs on what they need themselves.

I'm glad I was busy; it kept my mind off the death of my parents. I couldn't believe they were ONI operatives and killed during one of their missions. I guess I come by all this intrigue and spy stuff honestly. Poor Lee, he had to put up with a lot of crying and swearing. I was missing them and mad at them at the same time; I suppose its all part of the grieving process. He was so supportive; I don't think I would have gotten through this without him. God, I love him. Eventually the crew found out about their passing and was very sympathetic as I knew they would be.

Since we docked early in the morning, we went to our offices to check in and to tackle all the work that had accumulated while we were gone. I knew I would have a ton of mail to go through; Chip's and Lee's alone would keep me busy for the rest of the day.

I did manage to get through the mail by the end of the day. I've never seen so many resumes for people wanting to work for NIMR. Chip got all of those, plus a few marriage proposals. Lee got all the requests from vendors wanting to do business with NIMR and no marriage proposals in this batch. Wanda told me that before Lee married me she and Angie would keep a tally by the week to see who got more Lee or Chip. She said Lee won almost every week.

At the bottom of the pile I found an envelope from ONI for me. I went to Lee's office with the letter in my hand.

"Do you know what this could be?" I asked Lee as I handed him the letter.

"I don't know," he replied. "I never get letters from ONI. Why don't you open it and find out," he told me gently.

"I'm afraid of what is in it," I said tentatively. "Will you please open it for me and let me know what it says?"

"Sure," he replied as he opened the letter. Taking a deep breath he read me the condolence letter regarding the death of my parents and their last paycheck.

"Sweetie, there's a check in here for quite a bit of money."

"Lee, I don't want it. Can we please give it to a charity?" I replied softly.

"Sweetheart, whatever you want to do with it is fine with me," he said taking me in his arms.

I signed the check and gave it to Angie. She knew of a charity that NIMR sponsored and they would use the money for college scholarships.

((()))

Lee and I finally got home around 8:00 that night. Both tired from the mission and digging through all the paper at the office, we ordered a pizza for dinner. It was a good thing we got a large as Chip showed up at our door a short time later with some beer and asked if we wanted pizza for dinner. I told him the pizza was just delivered. I swear he must have smelled it at his house. While we were eating dinner, Chip and I talked about the inventory. Lee sat there eating his pizza and drinking a beer listening to us talk about work. All he could do was shake his head. It was after 10:00 before Chip went home. We had to be at work the following morning by 8:00 we headed up to bed. I was tired but not too tired for some 'intimate exercise'* and as usual Lee was outstanding as my personal trainer.

We woke the next morning and got ready for work. Grabbing some coffee and a frozen bagel we ran out the door. I was running a little late this morning much to the annoyance of my husband, I'm never late but this morning I just couldn't get it together. We made it in plenty of time, but he just likes to be there early.

((()))

Lee and Chip were meeting with the admiral to discuss some upgrades to _Seaview_ after we complete her next mission. Her computer system was due to be upgraded and Chip was explaining to them what needed to be done. The admiral trusted Chip to do what was best for _Seaview_ when it comes to the computers and technology; he always reading and researching what new items were out there and ensured she was always riding the crest of the wave when it came to computing power.

While they met I was busy in my office when a call came through on Lee's line. "Commander Crane's office, Janet Crane speaking, can I help you." I answered politely.

"Good Morning, Mrs. Crane," Admiral Johnson said nicely.

"I'm sorry Admiral, but Lee is with Admiral Nelson right now, do you need to talk to him right now or can I have him call you back?" I asked with my fingers crossed hoping he didn't need him right away.

"No I actually need to talk to you. Your parents had an apartment in Linkeroever, Belgium, that was where they lived most of the time. I know this is going to be difficult, but I need you to go there and take care of their personal belongings. ONI needs the apartment for another agent. The apartment is over a store and the storekeeper will give you the key. If possible, could you please take care of this by the beginning of next week," he said gently.

"Yes, Admiral, I'll get it done before the beginning of next week," I told him. "I will need the address."

Admiral Johnson gave me the address and said he was sorry this needed to be taken care of on such short notice.

I hoped the admiral would let me and Lee go to Belgium to take care of whatever I needed to do. I couldn't go by myself. I hate to fly as it is (not on the flying sub though) and if I had to fly alone I would never make it.

It was almost lunchtime by the time Lee and Chip were finished meeting with the admiral. They were going to have lunch at the cafeteria and Lee came in my office to ask me to join them for lunch. As soon as he laid eyes on me he could tell something was up. I told him that Admiral Johnson had called and that I needed to go to Belgium to take care of my parent's belongings and it needed to be done by next week.

"Do you think the admiral will let _us_ go?' I asked hopefully. "I can't go by myself. I know its short notice but we have been gone for almost two weeks after your mission was completed."

"Sweetie, I don't expect you to go alone. Let's go check with him and see what he has to say." Lee said taking my hand as we went to the admiral's office.

Lee knocked on the admiral's door and we were beckoned inside. "Sir, Janet received a call from Admiral Johnson requesting that she go to Belgium to clear out the apartment her parents lived in there. Apparently ONI needs the apartment by next week for the agents taking over their place and in deference to Janet they wanted to let her go through her parents affects."

The cloud that formed on the admiral's face at the first mention of Admiral Johnson's face melted away as Lee explained why he asked me to do this personally. His features softened into a sympathetic smile. "Of course Lee, no problem. Janet go over and take care of what you need and why don't you both take a few extra days to just relax and look around. Mind you this is not a vacation; I think we've all learned that you two can't take a vacation together since that leads to all kinds of trouble when you do."

"Thank you so much for understanding Admiral, you don't know how much I appreciate this," I replied.

"Think nothing of it my dear. Go, take care of business and get some rest as best you can. I'll see you when you get back," the admiral replied.

Lee made reservations for us to leave early on Thursday morning, we would fly to Chicago and then on to Brussels arriving early Saturday morning. It would be a long day as our total flying time would be thirteen and half hours plus they are ten hours ahead of us. He made reservations at the DeKeyser Hotel which was near the apartment.

"Have you ever been to Antwerp?" I asked him after he told me about our traveling plans.

"Yes one time for an ONI assignment. I needed to pick up some information from another agent. Linkeroever is a suburb of Antwerp. It is an old city and very pretty. We should have a couple of days to sightsee. We won't be back until late on Tuesday."

Well at least I had one day to finish up any work I had to do and still have time to pack. I felt bad that I had to leave Angie and Wanda again. I told them about my parents and they both were sorry at what happened. I hated dumping my work on them but Chip volunteered to sort through the mail while I was gone to lighten their load a bit. I know he doesn't mind helping out under the circumstances, but the rest of the work will have to wait until I get back.

((()))

Lee and I were packed and ready to leave on Thursday morning. We left the house at 4:00 in the morning otherwise traffic would have been a nightmare. Chip drove us to LAX dropping us off at the departure terminal. I gave him a quick kiss goodbye as Lee unloaded our bags from the car. Lee slapped him on the shoulder and thanked him for driving us. He would come back to pick us up when we returned; that's what 'brothers' do for each other.

We had an hour layover in Chicago and then onto Brussels. The hotel was only thirty minutes from the airport but we were both very tired by the time we got to our hotel. So we went to bed for a few hours and would find the apartment later on. After we woke up we went down to the restaurant and got something to eat. Lee was right the city was pretty. If we had time we were going to go to the zoo, Cathedral of our Lady and the Meir Shopping District. We could walk to most of them from our hotel.

After eating we decided we better find my parent's apartment and get this over with. We asked the woman at the desk where the address was and she told us it was a few blocks away and how to get there. It was close enough that we could walk as taxis are very expensive here. We were walking hand in hand down the street looking at the different buildings; they were all older and had a lot of interesting architecture.

((()))

We arrived at the address of the building and went into the store to get the key.

"Hi, I'm Lee Crane and this is my wife Janet," he told the older lady by the counter. "We're here to get a key from you for the Davenport's apartment."

"Hello, I was expecting you. I'm Mrs. Graystone. I'm so sorry to hear about them. They were such a nice couple. They lived here for a long time. Come on I will take you upstairs," she said leading us out the door of the store and to one next door that led to the apartment.

She opened the door and left us alone telling us to return the key to her when we were finished. We took a deep breath and walked in. This apartment was sparsely furnished and had nothing in it except some clothes and toiletry items. No pictures or knick knacks, it looked like they didn't stay here very much either. All we had to do was pack up the clothing and throw out the rest of the items.

Lee went downstairs to ask Mrs. Graystone where we could get some boxes and where we could get rid of the clothes after we packed them up. She showed him where she had some extra boxes and told him if he brought the boxes downstairs; she would take them to a homeless shelter she volunteered at. As we were packing up the boxes, Lee asked me if there was anything I wanted to take with me. After looking around there was nothing I wanted. We packed up about ten boxes and had a couple of bags of trash. Lee and I carried the boxes down and put them in the store. She showed Lee where he could put the trash. We went back to check out the apartment one last time. Lee put his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. We left shutting the door on that part of my life forever. I had no tears this time. We gave the key back to Mrs. Graystone and thanked her for taking care of the boxes.

((()))

Lee grabbed my hand as we walked back to the hotel.

"Sweetie, are you okay/" he asked tenderly.

"Yes, I'm fine. Can I ask you question?" I said him. "They had two apartments with nothing in them it was like they really didn't live anywhere. What kind of agents were they? They obviously weren't 'on call' like you so were they just in one place working undercover? I'm trying to understand why they were never around."

"I don't know anything about what kind of agents they were. You would have to ask Admiral Johnson and he wouldn't tell you anyway," he stated. "Do you want me to try and find out? Maybe he would tell me."

"No, just forget about it. Why don't we get something to eat?" I suggested.

As we walked into the hotel Lee's phone rang, it was Chip. He wanted to know how things were going. Lee told him what we found in the apartment and that we had just finished packing everything up and were going to eat.

"Chip, why are you _really_ calling," Lee asked suspiciously.

Lee could hear Chip sigh.

"We need you to come to back to NIMR as soon as you can," Chip told him. "The Navy wants _Seaview_ to go to the island of Casha. Admiral Rush who is in charge of this mission believes the island has been taken over. Whoever is on the island is building a missile launching system. Since the People's Republic failed to get one in the Caribbean Sea after the Breland Island** incident, they are trying again only in the Pacific Ocean on the island of Casha."***

"Casha!" Lee said a little loudly. "That was the island Harold Chandler was trying to take over. I met him in Paris with Liddy."

"Well, we need to check out what is going on. Call me back when you find out how soon you can leave. _Seaview_ is setting sail tomorrow morning. There will be someone there to meet you at the airport to drive you back whenever you arrive. Sorry I can't fly over to Belgium to pick you up directly but FS-1 is still undergoing maintenance, it should be completed by the time you get back and we can fly out to Seaview."

"Okay, let me check and see how fast we can leave." He hung up with Chip and was rubbing his forehead.

Looking at me he said, "We have to leave right away the Navy wants us to help them out with a problem. Sorry, no sightseeing for us," he said with wry grin.

"No problem, find out how soon we can leave," I replied smiling.

Lee called the airline and found out we could leave on the first flight out on Saturday morning. We would be back in California late that night. He called Chip back and gave him our itinerary; he would be there to meet us when we arrived Sunday morning.

It was a long and tiring flight home; we hadn't gotten over the jet lag after arriving on Thursday only to leave again on Saturday. Chip had someone from the Institute pick us up at the airport. We got home very late and went right to bed even after sleeping on the plane for a few hours.

((()))

Chip was waiting at the dock for us when we arrived at 7:00. "Morning, welcome back. How did your trip go? Did you get everything taken care of?"

"Yes," I replied with a tired sigh. "We cleared out the apartment and donated anything I didn't want." Chip gave me a sad smile and a hug realizing how hard it must have been for me to deal with all that.

"Just hang in there Janet, the pain will ease in time." I knew he was what a brother would be if I had one.

We finished stowing our gear and were strapped in and ready to take off about fifteen minutes later. Lee as usual would be piloting FS-1 back to _Seaview; _the man is so proprietary about his "baby". As Lee eased us away from the dock and headed for open water he asked Chip what they had found out about the island.

"The island of Casha is about 3,600 miles west of Hawaii near the Island of Guam. It was ruled by the Holikai family until recently, the island has been in their family for generations. Since I talked to you, Intel has found out that Harold Chandler has taken over the island. They have not harmed the Holikai family yet. All radio transmissions have stopped or any being sent out are by Chandler. They are monitoring them and it doesn't look good. It seems Chandler is in cahoots with the People's Republic and very determined to build the missile launching system at whatever cost," Chip explained.

"What do they want _Seaview_ and us to do?" Lee asked taking a deep breath.

"They want us to capture Chandler and return the island back to the Holikai family. We're not sure how much of the launching system has been constructed. Whatever is completed will need to be destroyed." Chip continued.

I just sat there listening to what they were talking about. It didn't sound like this mission was going to be very easy.

((()))

As we were flying to dock with _Seaview_, Sparks called and told Lee that the Admiral wanted to talk to him.

"Hi Lee, welcome back," the admiral said. "Everything go okay?"

"Yes, sir," Lee replied.

"Instead of coming directly to _Seaview_, fly to the island and check it out," the admiral told Lee.

"Aye, sir. I will call you back when we get there and report to you what we find."

"_Seaview_ out."

Lee changed course and headed for the island of Casha. It would take us about four hours to get there.

((()))

We reached the island and were checking it out when all of a sudden all the electrical components on FS-1 stopped working. The electrical signals were being jammed by something coming from the island. Lee was having a hard time controlling her even with Chip's help. We were going down. Lee managed to land FS-1 safely and push her onto the beach without too much damage.

"Is everyone okay," Lee asked as he began powering down the systems.

"I'm good," replied Chip.

"Shaken but not stirred," I responded trying to lighten the mood and hide how scared I was at our emergency landing.

"Good to hear," Lee answered with a chuckle as he looked back at me and smiled in concern.

"Really, I'm fine, to quote a certain NIMR officer," I said smiling back.

"Well I suppose we best find out what damage is done and where we are," Lee replied after a moment. "Chip crack the hatch and let's go see what's out there. Janet I want you to stay here and keep out of sight until we've figured out whether everything is safe, okay," Lee directed.

Chip got up and opened the aft hatch to check out where we were. They stepped out onto the beach, shut and secured the hatch with Chip's remote numeric locking device. As the door clanked shut I noticed that Lee left his in the flying sub. They no sooner shut the hatch and walked to the front of FS-1 when three men came out of the brush with their guns aimed at them.

"Well, Commander Crane, we meet again," the man said. Lee recognized him as the man in the blue jacket from Paris. "Open the hatch now," he demanded.

"Never," Lee spat.

He searched Lee looking for the locking device, finding nothing he went over to Chip.

"Open it up," he said to Chip waving his gun in his face.

"No," Chip stated vehemently. As they started to search him, he took his device and threw it in the ocean.

"That wasn't too smart," he told Chip as he hit him over the head with his gun knocking him out.

I ducked down behind one of the seats and watched as they assaulted Lee and Chip. I couldn't hear what they were saying but could pretty well read their lips and saw them search Lee and Chip. I saw Chip throw something into the ocean and then the man in the blue jacket hit him. I gasped when I saw him go down and wanted to run out there to help them but I knew Lee would be pissed plus it was obvious they didn't know I was in the sub so I stayed put. I watched as they tied Lee up and then dragged both of them off through the forest.

######

The three men took Lee and Chip to a large stone and brick mansion not too far from the beach. It had been built in the early 1700's by Spanish colonists to serve as the governor's house and offices; it was one of the last remnants of their occupation. On the back side of the house was a long building with many small rooms like prison cells running down its length. They untied Lee put him in one of the many cells, it was constructed of brick and mortar with a door made of metal bars that went from the floor to the ceiling. As he looked down the long hallway he noticed there was quite a bit of sunlight coming through the arches lining the sides. Lee sat down on the floor evaluating his options for escape and wondered where they had taken Chip and if he was all right. He was also concerned about me and hoped I hadn't left the flying sub.

Chip was barely conscious when they shoved him into his the cell; it too was made of stone from top to bottom. It faced the outside looking into a glen but the metal bars with spears on top would make it hard to escape without getting impaled. The door on the opposite side of his cell also had a barred door preventing escape. That door opened into a dark corridor and all he could see was the wall outside his cell with no way to tell where it led. His head was swimming from the blow he had taken on the beach leaving him with a terrible headache. With no immediate means of making good his escape he sat down wearily on the stone bench along the cell wall and passed out sliding limply across the seat.

((()))

I wasn't sure what to do so I tried to call _Seaview_ but got no answer, the radio must have been knocked out when they hit us with the jamming device. I hoped _Seaview_ was tracking us when we were forced down. I couldn't stay there forever so I decided I would go out and look for Lee and Chip. I grabbed Lee's numeric device, I only hoped I remembered his code.

Hoping the men hadn't returned, I left the flying sub and secured the hatch. I started to walk in the direction I saw them take Lee and Chip when I was startled to meet a young girl walking towards me. She must have been about ten years old. Either I was in big trouble and she would turn me in or she would help me.

"Hello, my name is Janet," I told her as I stooped down to her level. "What's your name?"

"Keiki Holikai," she said quietly.

"Keiki, do you live here with your parents?"

"Yes, I do. I used to live in the house not too far from here. My mother, grandparents and I live where the farmer's live now because a bad man took my father and put him in a cell. My mother and grandmother do the cooking and cleaning for the bad man and lady."

"Keiki, were you hiding in the forest when we landed on the beach?" I asked her.

"Yes, I watched you land there and saw the bad men take away the two men who were with you. So I followed them," she told me.

"Can you help me find those two men? Do you know where they took them?"

"Yes, I will show you." She grabbed my hand led me through the forest to the back of a mansion. She led me to the cell where Chip was.

"Chip...Chip, can you hear me," I whispered. I didn't know if he was still unconscious or sleeping. He finally heard me and lifted his head.

"Janet what are you doing here...how did you find me?" he asked rubbing his head.

"My friend Keiki Holikai led me to you, this is her house. She saw us land and watched them take you and Lee away,"

"Do you know where Lee is?" he asked unsteadily.

"No, not yet."

"Someone is coming. Get out of here. Go back to the flying sub and stay there. _Seaview_ should know where we are and will come looking for us when we don't report in."

"I'll be back." I told him and left with Keiki leading me back through the forest to the flying sub. I pressed the code on Lee's numeric device and I could hear the hatch unlock. Phew, didn't know what I would have done if the code was wrong.

Before going in the flying sub, I asked, "Keiki, can you keep a secret?"

"Yes, I can. I know a lot of secrets," she told me confidently.

"Please don't tell anyone you saw me and showed me where the man was. It's important the bad man doesn't know I'm here. I need to get my friends out so we can get the island back to your parents."

"What are their names," she wanted to know.

"Chip is the man we talked to. The dark haired man's name is Lee and he is my husband. We need to find him too."

"I won't tell anyone you are here. I will come by tomorrow to help you find Lee," she said matter-of-factly.

######

_Seaview _kept trying to call FS-1 but got no answer and we were too far away to be on their radar. Admiral Nelson told Lt. O'Brien to set a course for Casha hoping we were somewhere near there. They would get there by late tomorrow afternoon.

######

Harold Chandler walked down the cell block to check out his prisoners. He stopped first at the cell Lee was in.

"Well Commander, we meet again," he said. "What a pleasant surprise to learn I have you and your Executive Officer on _my_ island. I also have your flying sub. Give me the code to open the door. The People's Republic will pay me a lot of money for that machine."

"I will never tell you the code," Lee hissed.

"Well maybe you need to learn a lesson," he said nastily as he punched him in the face a couple of times. "If I can't change your mind maybe your executive officer will give me the code. I believe his name is Chip. Don't worry I'm not done with you," he threatened. Even though Lee's hands were untied he couldn't fight back as the man with the blue jacket stood next to Chandler with his gun aimed at him.

"_Fat chance", _Lee muttered under his breath rubbing his face where Chandler hit him.

Lee tried to see where they went but lost sight of them as they went around a corner. Lee spent most of the night pacing in his cell. He hoped I was still in the flying sub and wondered where Chip was and if he was alright.

######

Chip was sitting on the bench when Chandler entered the cell.

"Well, Chip since the Lee wouldn't give me the code, I hope you will or _you_ will have to pay the consequences," Chandler said viciously.

"No way will I ever tell you the code no matter what you do to me," Chip spat.

"You will pay for that mistake."

Chandler motioned to the man in the blue jacket to starting beating him. His assault was vicious; he hit him in the face a few times and punched him in his ribs and back cracking, if not breaking several ribs in the process. Chip grunted in pain as he battered his body but still wouldn't give him the code.

After it became obvious that Chip wasn't going to give up the code, Chandler told the guard to stop; a dead man can't reveal anything. "Such a brave man," taunted Chandler. "Maybe if we leave you here for a while to deal with your pain you'll change your mind."

Chip glared back at Chandler and his man and said nothing. Chandler smiled smugly, then turned and exited the cell. After they left the cell, Chip laid down on the bench and fell asleep to block out the pain.

((()))

I eventually fell asleep in the bunk on FS-1. I woke up suddenly when I heard someone trying to get in the aft hatch. I found a metal bar and shoved it in the wheel, extra insurance in case the lock failed. I hid in the corner of the bunk as someone looked in the front windows. I could also hear someone on top trying to open the hatch up there. I was really scared they would get in and find me. They were there for about ten minutes. I looked out the window and saw they were the men that took Lee and Chip yesterday. I watched them walk back into the forest not looking too happy they couldn't get in.

I tried the radio again but I still couldn't get through to _Seaview_. There were some MRE's and water so I wasn't hungry or thirsty. I cautiously opened the door hoping no one was there where I couldn't see. I really wanted a shower but I knew that wouldn't happen anytime soon. I went to the beach and washed the best I could. Salt water wasn't the best for bathing.

I walked back to FS-1 and saw Keiki coming from the forest. I was happy to see her; I wanted to go back and look for Lee. She led me back through the forest to the mansion. I needed one more trip through the forest just to make sure I knew where I was going. We went first to the cell where Chip was.

"Chip what happened!" I asked stunned at the way he looked. I wanted to wipe off his face but didn't have anything to use. I could see Keiki was also upset.

"I wouldn't give him the code to FS-1," Chip said in pain.

"Did that bad man do this?" Keiki asked softly.

"Yes, but I'm okay honey," he said gently.

"We have to get help. Please let me tell my mother about you. Maybe she could help you."

"Keiki we have to find Lee, first," I said sighing.

"Come with me," she said grabbing my hand.

"Chip, we will come back." I told him hating to leave him in that condition.

After looking around the corner to make sure no one was there, Keiki led me to another area where there were more cells. I asked her how she knew where these cells were and she said he father was in one of them and she would go and see him. She took me to the cell where Lee was.

"Janet, what are you doing here?" he asked sharply. "And who is the girl?"

"This is Keiki. She lives here with her parents and grandparents. Her father's family has been on this island for generations. Honey, what happened to you?" I asked seeing the bruises on his face.

"Chandler hit me when I wouldn't give him the code to FS-1. Did you find Chip?"

"Yes, he is worse shape than you; Chandler used him as a punching bag. Lee, I tried to call _Seaview_ but I don't think the radio is working. Is there anything else I can do to let them know where we are?" I said desperately.

"I don't think anything electrical will work as the wiring is probably burnt up. The radio may work if they aren't jamming the signals. Keep trying to contact _Seaview_. Press the red button on the front control panel, it's a location beacon. _Seaview_ will pick up the signal and find us if it works.

"I'm going find a way to get you and Chip out." I said with determination.

"Sweetie, please go back and stay in the flying sub. I don't want Chandler to find you." Lee said then suddenly cocked his head to the side. "I hear someone coming, go now."

Keiki and I left and hid around the corner. I heard a woman's voice talking to Lee. It sounded like Liddy Novak. She told the guard to open the cell and let her in and then to wait outside the door. He had a gun aimed at Lee, so Liddy knew he wouldn't try anything.

"Lee, how are you? I see Chandler has already gotten to you," Liddy said as she rubbed her hand on Lee's cheek where he was bruised. Lee brushed her hand away.

"How did you manage to escape?" Lee asked surprised to see her. "Were you working with Chandler the whole time we were in Paris? What about Denning?"

"I knew the guards who were taking me to prison and Chandler paid them off. I was free as a bird," she said smugly. "Denning was just a cover, I didn't care what happened to him but I didn't plan on being caught by MI 6 and taken to jail before being sent back to the States. You will eventually have to pay for that, my dear. How about you and I get 'together' and I will call it even," Liddy said to him as she rubbed up against him.

"No way," Lee snarled as he shoved her away.

"Too bad," she said snidely. "Save yourself and Chip a lot of pain, give Chandler the code to FS-1 and he will let you and Chip out of the cell. Knowing what you know and who you are, Chandler will sell you to the People's Republic for a large fee. He will keep Chip here and force him to do what he wants at gun point if necessary.

"Go to hell," Lee snapped.

Liddy left and walked back to the main part of the house laughing as she left.

I returned to Lee's cell and told him I heard everything Liddy said. I wanted to punch her out, but I knew I would have to wait to do that. He just smiled at me because he knew after this was over; I would probably follow through on my threat. I let him know I was going back to FS-1 to see if the location beacon would work.

((()))

Keiki and I walked back to the flying sub. We went in and found the button Lee told me about. I pressed it but I didn't hear any noise so I didn't know if it worked. As Keiki and I were leaving, we heard a woman's voice calling for her.

Keiki looked up at me and smiled. "That's my mother. Please let me tell her about you, I'm sure she can help you set your friends free."

I took a deep breath and figured why not. "All right Keiki, I can use all the help I can get." I patted her on the shoulder and we exited the flying sub to meet with Keiki's mother.

"Mama, this is Janet," Keiki said to her mother. "She needs help getting some men out of the prison. They want to help us get our island back."

"You are with the men?" her mother asked cautiously.

I could see she was a little suspicious but Keiki told her to trust me.

"Yes, one of them is my husband, Lee. He is the captain of the submarine, _Seaview_. The other man is Chip Morton and he is the Executive Officer on the same sub. We were flying over the island when they jammed our electrical system causing us to crash. We're here to help get the island back to your family." I told her. "I hope there is more help coming soon, but I don't know if they got the signal I sent them. Please Mrs. Holikai I need your help. They've already beaten Chip and I'm sure my husband will be next if they don't give them the code to this machine. I need to come up with a plan to free them."

"My name is Louisa and I will help you. They turn off the radio every day at 10:00 for ten minutes for maintenance. Come Keiki we don't want Mr. Chandler to get suspicious because you aren't there to help me prepare his and Ms. Novak's breakfast," she said hurriedly. "After breakfast Mr. Chandler and Ms. Novak go to the other side of the island to check on the progress of the missile launching system, so I will be free to help you when they leave. The two guards, Adam (the man in the blue jacket) and Jake, always go with them. The other guard, Elmer, stays at the house. I will meet you back here at 10:30 after I see my husband, Kona. We will talk then and come up with a plan."

"Thank you Louisa, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help," I replied in relief.

"You're welcome Janet. If you and your men are able to help us take back our island it is well worth the risk. Come Keiki we need to return to the mansion now before we're late," Louisa answered.

"I'm coming with you so I can check on Chip and hopefully see Lee again."

We left together to return to the mansion, Louisa and Keiki to the main house and me to check on Chip and maybe see Lee. When I got to Chip's cell, he was sitting in the corner on the bench. I could see blood all over the seat. It looked like they had beaten him again but this time more viciously.

"Chip," I said softly. He didn't answer me. "Chip," I said a little louder. He stirred and picked up his head. His face was bloodier than before and he was having hard time breathing. His right eye was swollen shut and already turning black and blue. It looked like they hit him quite a few times.

"Damn," I said worriedly. "When did they do this to you?"

"Early this morning," he said struggling to breath. "I think a rib has punctured my lung."

"I'm sorry Chip, I can't help you right now. If I do they will know someone else is here and beat you again to find out who helped you," I said near tears. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," he said softly.

"Where have I heard that before," I muttered.

"Chip I found out they turn off the radio at 10:00 and I'm going to try and contact _Seaview _and let them know where we are.

"How did you find that out," he asked quietly.

"I met Keiki's mother and she's been forced to work as a cook in the mansion for Chandler and Liddy Novak," I said with a snarl. "Her husband Kona is also imprisoned here in one of these cells. She's the one who told me when they power down the jamming device. She is going to help me rescue you, Lee and her husband."

"It figures that snake in grass Novak would be leeched onto Chandler," Chip spat.

"Just hold on Chip a little while longer, we'll be back to get you as soon as possible."

I left him and headed towards Lee's cell. I almost got caught by one of the guards and had to hide in the bush around the corner from Chip's cell.

I looked around the corner and could see no one was there so I went to Lee's cell. I told him about Chip and he was very upset. I repeated to him what I told Chip about the radio and Keiki's mother helping me. He wasn't too thrilled about that but what could he do, we needed to get Chip some help and quickly. He grabbed my hand before I left, pulled me close to the bars and me a quick kiss for luck.

((()))

After leaving Lee, I ran back through the forest. It was almost 10:00 and I wanted to try the radio. I pressed Lee's numeric device and the hatch to FS-1 popped open. I quickly climbed inside and shut and locked the door.

I moved to the electrical panel and powered up the systems. I moved over to the pilot's seat and flipped on the radio and crossed my fingers. "FS-1 to _Seaview_. Sparks, please answer," I pleaded

"This is _Seaview_," Sparks replied quickly. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Please get me the admiral. I don't have much time to talk." I told him quickly.

"Yes, Janet, where are you?" the admiral answered immediately.

"We're on Casha. Lee and Chip were captured by Chandler and are in prison cells located beneath the family mansion. Chip is badly hurt and in need of immediate medical assistance. When will you be here?" I asked impatiently.

"We should be there late tomorrow night. We ran into some trouble with a destroyer from the People's Republic. We have some damage so it will take us longer to arrive," he said soberly.

"When you get here, bring Jamie. I've got to go now, they're going to turn the jamming device back on. I will explain later. Please hurry. FS-1 out."

"Janet...Janet wait I have ..." the admiral could tell the radio went dead again.

He ran his hand through his hair. He was worried about all of us. He went to the radio shack and asked Sparks if he had a location on where the call came from. Sparks told him he thought it was on the south side of the island.

_Seaview_ had crossed paths with a People's Republic destroyer. There was some damage to the hull and electrical would have to make some temporary repairs before they could get to the island. _Seaview_ did sink the destroyer which they believed was delivering supplies for the missile launching system.

((()))

Once I signed off with the admiral, I went outside to wait for Louisa. I paced back and forth worried that the radio signal would be traced. Louisa and Keiki showed up right on time.

"Louisa, who is building the missile launching systems?" I asked

The farmers who live on the island are being forced to work at the site. If they didn't work, Chandler told them he would kill them and their families. There are only two guards watching them, but they are heavily armed." Louisa replied

"We need to get _our_ men out of their cells. What do you know about the security down in the cell block?" I inquired.

"There are three guards at the house. Whenever I bring my husband food, one of them goes with me, to open the cell to let me take in the food."

"Are they armed when they escort you down to the cells?" I asked.

"Yes," she answered.

"I got in touch with _Seaview_ but they won't be here until late tomorrow night. Chip needs help now."

"My father-in-law, Lokepa, is a doctor and can help him once we got him out of the cell," Louisa offered. "But Janet, how _are_ we going to get them out of their cells? They are under guard whenever someone is there," she asked dejectedly

"Are there any other men that could help us besides Lokepa?"

"When the farmers aren't working at the site, they are on their farms. I'm sure some of them would help us."

"Please ask them if they will help us," I said hopefully. "I need Lee to lure Ms. Novak down to his cell. If there is a guard with her, I will knock the guard out; get his keys and let Lee and Kona out. Then we can get Chip out and have Lokepa look at him."

"How are you to knock out the guard," she questioned.

"I don't know yet. I'll find something on the flying sub." I told her.

"How are you going to get Ms. Novak down to the cell?" she asked with a frown.

"Oh, don't worry about that," I reassured her. "If Lee calls, she will come running, she has the hots for him."

Louisa just smiled and nodded knowing what I was talking about. Liddy had tried to seduce her husband too.

Keiki just sat there and listened to her mother and I work out a plan. "Mother I want to help too," she said.

"You will sweetheart, you can help Grandpa care for Chip once we get him out," Louisa answered.

((()))

Louisa had to get back to the mansion and make lunch. She told me the guard would be bringing Kona, Lee and Chip lunch at 12:30. She said as soon as Ms. Novak went down to see Lee, she would have Keiki get Lokepa and bring him to the prison area. They would wait outside in the brush until we got Chip out. Hopefully our men would be out by dinner.

After Louisa and Keiki left I found a gun and extra ammo in the locker on FS-1. A gun will be better than me trying to knock him out. I looked through the various supply hatches for anything else that could be of use and found a cache of large zip ties that were used to secure things in place during flight. I grabbed a handful of zip ties, they might come in handy.

I made my way back to the mansion with the gun, ammo and zip ties. I looked in on Chip and he was slumped in the corner of the cell near the front gate. He face wasn't bleeding anymore but he looked like hell and I could see he was having hard time breathing. I called his name but he didn't answer, he was unconscious. His condition was getting worse and I was so worried about him; we had to get him out before it was too late. I left him and went to Lee's cell.

"What are you doing here again? Please go back to FS-1 and stay until _Seaview_ comes," he said a little harshly.

"No, _Seaview_ won't be here until late tomorrow night. I managed to get in radio contact with her. She had some trouble with a People's Republic destroyer and needs to make repairs before she can get here. Lee, I think Chip is unconscious, when I called to him he didn't answer me."

"Damn," he said angrily.

"Lee, here's what I need you to do. You need to get Liddy down here, tell her you want to get 'together' with her." I couldn't believe what I was telling him to do. "A guard will come with her. We need to get both of them out of the picture. Once you get her alone in the cell, I will get the keys from the guard and unlock your cell. When get that done we can lock both of them up and free Kona and Chip. Keiki's grandfather is a doctor and will help Chip until Jamie gets here.

"Are you crazy," he said shaking his head. You _want_ me to have Liddy come here? Sweetie, I don't know about this," he said running his hand through his hair. "And how are _you_ going to get the guard to open the cell?

"I have the gun and extra ammo I found in FS-1. Do you have a better plan," I snapped.

"No," he admitted.

"Then get her down here _now_. They will be bringing you lunch shortly," I told him as I left to wait around the corner for the guard. "You will have to figure out the plan to get Chandler."

((()))

When the guard came down with the lunches, I heard Lee ask him to tell Ms. Novak to come down now. He changed his mind and needed to see her right away.

After he and Kona finished lunch, the guard left and was back a few minutes later with Liddy. She was surprised he wanted to see her.

"Well, well, well this is a surprise," Liddy cooed at Lee. "Finally come to your senses?"

"Let's just say I'm reevaluating my options," Lee replied with a slight smile.

"Smart boy. Jake open the cell door and let me in, then make yourself scarce for the next hour," she told the guard.

I couldn't see what was going on but I knew from past encounters Liddy would be on him in no time. As the guard walked away from the cell door locking Liddy in there with Lee, I came up behind him and pressed a gun in his back and kicked his feet out from under him. I put my foot on his back while I took a zip tie and tied his hands behind his back.

"Get up and make no sudden moves," I said sharply as I cocked the hammer on the gun. l grabbed his gun and the keys from his belt.

Pressing the gun deeper in his back, we walked back to Lee's cell. Just as I had guessed Liddy was latched to Lee like a leech kissing him. He was kissing her back but I could tell by the look in his eyes he was not very happy about it.

"Get away from him," I yelled as I unlocked the cell door.

"Where the hell did you come from," Liddy yelled back.

"That doesn't matter," I said as I gave Lee the guns . Walking into the cell I hauled off and slugged her; I watched with a certain amount of satisfaction as she hit the back wall and slid to the floor unconscious. Lee and the guard's eyes got as big as serving platters amazed that I had knocked her out.

"Wow you really clobbered her," Lee said with an appreciative chuckle. "Looks like that self defense class was a good idea after all. I hope I never make you _that_ mad at me." I looked up at him catching the twinkle of delight in his eyes and just blushed.

He took a zip tie and made quick work of tying up her hands. Taking off the scarf she was wearing, he shoved it in her mouth making a very effective gag.

He shoved the guard down the hall to the next cell which had a solid wood door instead of bars. He opened it up and there was Kona. Kona knew who Lee was because Louisa slipped him a note when she saw him earlier that morning. He and Lee shoved the guard in the cell and locked the door. Lee gave Kona the gun I took from the guard. Next I led them to where Chip was being held.

Lee opened the door and took one look at Chip and knew he was unconscious and not doing well. He and Kona gently picked him up and carried him out of the cell to where Lokepa was waiting for them. Keiki and Louisa brought him when Liddy went down to Lee's cell just as we planned. Lokepa directed Lee and Kona to place Chip in the small cart they had brought with them and Keiki and Louisa helped Lokepa move Chip down the road to Lokepa's house where he could take care of him.

"Janet, go with them," Lee ordered.

"No way," I stated emphatically. "We have to get Chandler, the radio operator and the other two guards."

He just smiled and grabbed my hand as we followed Kona to the main house. As we were leaving the cell area four men from the island approached us.. Louisa and Keiki told them what we were doing and they had volunteered to help us. They were armed with clubs and bats.

((()))

Kona led us and two of the farmers to the back door of the house that led into the kitchen. The other two men stayed behind and hid in the hedges by the front door. He wasn't sure where Chandler would be right now and didn't want us going in without backup. We didn't have to wait long before we could hear Chandler yelling for the guards from the living room.

"Where the hell are Jake and Liddy," he yelled to Adam and Elmer as they entered the room.

"She went down to Crane's cell. He wanted to see her," Adam replied. "They have been gone a long time."

"Damn. Elmer go down there and see what's going on," Chandler demanded. "Bring her back here now and as for Crane shoot him."

When I heard that a shiver went down my spine.

Elmer left the living room and went out the front door. The two men hiding in the hedges grabbed him as he left and knocked him out. They tied him up and hauled him to the cells and threw him in a cell. They went back up to the main house and waited outside.

Lee sent Kona's men to look for the radio operator. Kona told them where the radio room was and they took off to find him. They found him in the room just as he was trying to send a message. They managed to grab him before he could send it and he offered no resistance as they led him off to the cells.

Once the operator was taken care of Lee, Kona and I walked into the living room. "What the hell is going on here? How did you get out?" Chandler yelled. "Shoot them," he told Adam.

Before he could get a shot off, Kona shot him in the knee cap. He fell to the floor screaming in pain. The two men out front heard the shot and stormed in. They picked up the guard, tied him up and took him down to a cell.

The only person left was Chandler. When he told Adam to shoot us, Lee stepped in front of me to protect me. I came out from behind him and Chandler was shocked to see me.

"Where the hell did you come from?" he snarled.

"I've been here the whole time. I was just a little smarter than your guards. Louisa and Keiki helped me free Kona, Lee and Chip."

I walked up to him but before Lee could stop me, I slapped him across the face. "That's for beating Chip." I wanted to hit him again but Lee grabbed my hand. He just stared at me and hit me with that shy little smile of his and I put my hand down.

Chandler was pissed but knew he would not be able to escape and surrendered. He had been out maneuvered by two women and a girl; his ego was stinging more than his face.

Kona and Lee took him down to another cell with no metal bars, just a solid wooden door. They tied him up, shoved him in and slammed the door shut.

"Kona, why do you have so many cells in this part of the house," Lee asked.

"Lee, they aren't really cells. They were used for keeping animals many years ago. We don't have too many animals now but back when my family first came here they had to put them somewhere so they built these little rooms for them. They didn't want them in the dark, so that is why the rooms have metal bars for the doors. Only a few have solid wooden doors and those were used for storing food since they would be cooler. Unfortunately Chandler found out they made good jail cells."

As we were walking out of the cell area, we passed the cell Liddy was in. She was conscious now and pissed. I wanted to slug her again but Lee grabbed my hand and we walked away. I did enjoy seeing the shiner that was closing up her right eye and decided an animal pen was the perfect place for her.

Keiki and Louisa came up from Lokepa's house as we were walking to the path. Lee and I were concerned about Chip. "Louisa, how is Chip?" I asked anxiously.

"Lokepa says that he really needs more advanced medical attention than he can give him without the necessary supplies," she answered.

Hearing what Louisa said we hurried on our way to Lokepa's house to check on Chip. As we walked along we were startled by a rustling in the surrounding forest. Lee slowly raised his gun and prepared to take on whatever might come out of the trees. Much to our relief it was the admiral with Jamie, Chief Sharkey and Patterson in tow.

"Admiral! We're surprised to see you here so soon," Lee said as he lowered the gun. "You couldn't have arrived at a better time; Chip is in desperate need of Jamie's services."

"Where is he Lee," asked Jamie.

"He's with Louisa's father-in-law at his house," I answered. "He's a doctor too but doesn't have the necessary equipment and supplies to properly treat Chip."

"Please come with me," Louisa spoke up. "I'll take you right to him."

Louisa and Keiki quickly led Jamie, Sharkey and Patterson down the trail to Lokepa's house to check on Chip. Jamie would get him stabilized and then transport him back to _Seaview_ which was sitting about five hundred yards off the beach where the flying sub rested on the beach.

"It's good to see you're both looking not too much the worse for wear. I'm glad we were able to get here when we did for Chip's sake," the admiral said once Jamie had left.

"Admiral, you said _Seaview_ wouldn't get here until late tomorrow night," I said relieved to see him.

"When you called you sounded like you desperately needed help. We made only the necessary repairs to get us to the island as quickly as possible. he said.

"What is the damage to _Seaview_," Lee asked anxiously.

"There is hull damage in frames forty five, forty seven and forty nine we made temporary repairs but we will have to go to Pearl to make more extensive repairs before sailing back home," the admiral reported. "They dropped depth charges on us and we couldn't get away fast enough to avoid them. They gave us a pretty good pounding. Knocked out the torpedo system for a short time but Sharkey was able to fire the torpedoes manually and we sunk it,"

As the admiral finished telling us about their skirmish with the PR Jamie came back up the path with Chip on a stretcher he was still unconscious and Jamie thought he had a severe concussion. "We need to get him back to Seaview at once, Admiral," Jamie said, his concern with Chip's condition clearly written on his face.

"Patterson, Chief Sharkey, take Jamie and Chip back to _Seaview_ immediately," Lee ordered. "The rest of us will return shortly.

"Aye, aye Skipper," Sharkey replied and they all made their way back towards the beach.

((()))

The admiral and Lee wanted to see how far Chandler had gotten in the construction of the missile launching system. I mentioned to Lee that there were two more guards there according to Louisa. The men that had helped Lee and Kona capture Chandler wanted to help them capture the guards and bring them back to the cells. The admiral went with Kona, Lee and the men. Louisa, Keiki and I headed back to the house to wait for them to return.

((()))

The men easily captured the rest of the guards and quickly deposited them in the remaining open cells. Lee, Kona and a couple of the men went to the cells to check on the prisoners and ensure that there was no chance they could escape. Two of Kona's men offered to stay there to make doubly sure they didn't escape and would rotate guards to keep a 24 hour watch until they were transferred to the authorities. They weren't taking any chances on them escaping and leaving the island before a ship could take them to Pearl Harbor. Kona took the gag out of Liddy's mouth but didn't untie her. For once she had nothing to say. They left the rest of the prisoners tied up too.

((()))

Louisa, Keiki and I went back to their house to wait for the men. Louisa and Keiki were excited to be back home. The house was beautiful. It had lots of windows that looked out over a court yard. Keiki took me to her room to show off all her things. It was a typical girl's room with posters and dolls. She also had a beautiful view of the beach. I could see the flying sub and _Seaview_ from her window, believe me it was a beautiful sight as well.

((()))

When the men returned from the launching site, Lee contacted _Seaview_, and asked Sparks to patch him through to Admiral Rush at Pearl Harbor. He needed to make arrangements to get the prisoners off the island as soon as possible. The admiral told him the ship was already on the way and would be there later on tonight.

Since there hadn't been much work done on the missile site, there wasn't anything that needed to be destroyed, and _Seaview_ had already sunk the destroyer with all the heavy equipment and parts. The farmers would be able to repair what damage had been done to the land; they were just glad to have their lives and farms back.

((()))

To show their appreciation for our help, the farmers and their families arranged to have luau that night for the whole crew and invited us all to spend a few days on the island relaxing. The admiral accepted their gracious offer and sent word back to Seaview to arrange for the crew to attend the party in shifts. Unfortunately we were only going to be able to stay for the party as we needed to get _Seaview_ to Pearl Harbor for repairs.

Before the luau Lee and I went back with Kowalski on FS-1. While Lee and the admiral took care of things on the island Kowalski had stayed with FS-1 checking her out to see if she would be able to dock with _Seaview._ He was able to get her up and running again and back into the water. We hopped aboard and motored the short distance out to the boat and berthed with _Seaview_. Once aboard, we went immediately to sick bay.

"How's he doing Jamie," Lee asked, his deep concern poorly hidden.

"Not good, Lee. He's still unconscious and I'm afraid he's slipped into a coma. If he doesn't wake up soon I'm going to send him to the base hospital at Pearl Harbor for more detailed brain scans." Jamie answered. "On a brighter note, his lung wasn't punctured but he has several broken ribs. I've taped his ribs but he'll be pretty sore for the next couple of weeks."

"As you can see I've bandaged up the cuts on his face. There was one that should have been stitched on his forehead, but it's a little too late for that now so I'll try gluing it. There will probably be a scar and if he's not keen on that showing he'll just have to let his hair grow longer to cover it," Jamie added with a smile and a wink.

"Can we stay with him," I asked, not wanting to leave him alone.

"Later," Jamie replied. "You two need to go to the luau since its being given in your honor. I'll be here with him the whole time. I'll contact you by radio if there are any changes in his condition, okay."

We both reluctantly agreed and left sickbay and headed to our cabin to scrape off the dirt and grime we had accumulated during our stay on the island. I don't think a shower ever felt so good in my life.

((()))

The farmers had volunteered to transport the crew to the island for the luau. Their boats were bigger and faster than our rafts and made the shuttle of men to the party much faster. Since they were providing transportation, Lee invited Kona, Louisa, Keiki and Lokepa on a tour of _Seaview _before the luau. Aloalo, Keiki's grandmother, was too busy with the luau to come.

Once the Holikai family was aboard _Seaview_, Lee gave them a tour of the boat.

"My I've never seen a submarine this big," Kona remarked. "We've been to Pearl Harbor and they have nothing this big there. And those windows, they are huge what keeps them from breaking?"

"She is the largest boat around," Lee said proudly. "The windows are made of herculite an invention of the Admiral's."

Keiki wanted to see what a cabin looked like, so Lee took them to ours.

"It isn't very big," she said. "Where do you sleep?"

"In the bunk," I told her smiling.

"It's too small," she said as she walked out the door. The rest of us just smiled.

"Lee, would it be too much trouble to see sick bay? I would really like to know how Chip is doing." Lokepa asked somberly.

"No problem, Lokepa," Lee said. "Follow me."

He led them to sick bay. Lokepa was impressed with all the equipment Jamie had but was just as worried as Jamie that Chip was still unconscious.

"Please let us know when he wakes up," Lokepa told Jamie. Jamie said he would let them know as soon as he was conscious. He thanked him for the help he gave Chip.

((()))

We took a boat back to the island to help Aloalo with the luau but there was not much to do. She had almost everything done by the time we got back. Of course Cookie had to be involved and added some provisions from _Seaview_. You should have seen the two of them cooking together. Cookie was having a good time as he rarely ever got to get off the boat.

Everyone was there except Chip, Jamie and a few men to keep an eye on _Seaview._ How they managed to get this together for over a hundred people was amazing. The food was fantastic and we all had a good time but were still very worried about Chip. Every time I looked at Lee he was checking the radio.

Before we left Kona, Louisa, Keiki and her grandparents gave us hugs and thanked us again.

"If you are ever this way again, please stop and see us. We would be more than happy to have you stay with us when you go on vacation." Louisa told me.

The admiral raised his eyebrows when they suggested we come and visit. He just looked at Lee and me and shook his head. We have been permanently banned from taking vacations.

((()))

Once the party was over and all the men were back aboard, Lee ordered Seaview to get underway and set a course for Pearl Harbor. While Lee was in the control room, I went to sick bay to check on Chip.

"Jamie how is he?" I asked frightened that he was still unconscious.

"He is still comatose," he answered rubbing his hand on his forehead.

Lee came to sick bay once Seaview was well on her way and sat down by Chip.

"Hey Chip, you sure missed a good party. You better wake up soon or all the food we brought back is going to be gone," Lee said quietly.

I put my hands on his shoulders as he talked to Chip, I could tell he was really upset. He kept talking to him about the boat, the damage she sustained in her round with PR and spending time in Pearl, but he never stirred.

((()))

A few hours later, Lt. O'Brien called sick bay and told Lee they were approaching Pearl Harbor. As Lee left to see to our docking, I sat down by Chip and rubbed his hand.

"Chip you need to wake up. Lee is bringing _Seaview_ into the harbor. You need to make sure he doesn't scratch the paint. Please Chip wake up," I said with tears in my eyes. "Please."

((()))

Lee went to the conning tower to direct the docking from there. It was a little difficult getting her in the harbor and the dock during daylight but at night it was even trickier. He didn't want to lose the standing bet with Chip that he would scratch her paint, though given Seaview's battle scars it would be hard to tell if he did. Repairs would start first thing in the morning and it would take about a week to complete the work needed to get _Seaview_ back to Santa Barbara.

I was still in sick bay with Chip when Lee finally came back. He sat down next to me.

"Any change," Lee asked looking extremely tired.

"No," I replied worriedly. I could see my husband was ready to collapse.

We hadn't gotten over the jet lag from Belgium and I don't know how much sleep he had gotten on the island, so I was very concerned about him.

Jamie noticed it too and told both of us to leave.

"You two need to leave now. You're both are exhausted," Jamie insisted.

"No, we want to stay here with Chip," Lee and I started to protest.

"Out, both of you now," the admiral ordered as he walked in. "I will stay with him while the two of you get some sleep."

Not standing a snowflake's chance in hell, reluctantly we left for our cabin. We got ready for bed and no sooner climbed in the bunk and fell asleep.

((()))

Lee woke up at 5:00. He took his shower and was dressed by the time I woke up.

"Sweetie, stay here and rest. I will meet you in the wardroom for breakfast in a half an hour. I'm going to check on Chip," he said gently.

"No way," I replied quickly as I gave him a kiss, hug and grabbed my clothes. "I will meet you there in a few minutes." I wanted to see how Chip was doing too and got ready in record time.

Lee was still in sick bay by the time I got there. Chip was still in a coma but hadn't gotten any worse.

"Come on, I'm meeting the Admiral for breakfast. You both will be joining us," Jamie said as he grabbed our arms and dragged us to the wardroom. "John will be here with Chip and let us know if anything changes."

((()))

After eating, I went back to sick bay with Jamie while Lee and the admiral went to see about the repairs. They were meeting with Chief Sharkey in the control room to assign which crew men would do the repairs. The crew would be given shore leave depending on which repairs were being made. Officers would also have time off on a rotating basis.

((()))

Lt. O'Brien would take charge of the repairs this morning as Lee and I had to go to Admiral Rush's office to be debriefed on the mission. Neither one of us wanted to leave Chip but had little choice. Lee of course would have his phone and told Jamie to call if there was any change good or bad.

Admiral Rush sent a car to pick us up at 9:00. When we arrived, we were shown into his office immediately. Lee took his cover off and saluted the admiral when we got in his office. He told us to be seated. Lee handed his cover to me.

"Commander, please tell me what happened on Casha," Admiral Rush asked seriously.

"Sir, I can't tell you too much. They had jammed all our electronics and we crashed landed near the beach. When Mr. Morton and I went to check the damage we were captured as soon as we exited FS-1. They were waiting for us. Janet stayed in FS-1 so they didn't know she was there. She and Mrs. Holikai concocted a plan to free not only Mr. Morton and myself but her husband, Kona, too.

"Well Mrs. Crane could you please tell me what you did?"

"Sir, they didn't know I was there. I was able to sneak around the area where Lee, Mr. Morton and Kona were being held. Mrs. Holikai and her daughter showed me where the kept the prisoners. I found a gun on FS-1 and was able to surprise the guard and tie him up. I freed Lee and he freed Mr. Morton and Kona. They helped take care of Mr. Morton while we went to find Mr. Chandler. The men on the island helped us round up the rest of the guards. They watched them until they were picked up by your people."

"What about Chandler?" Admiral Rush asked. "You captured him without too much trouble."

"Sir, once he saw he was out numbered, he just gave up." Lee explained.

"What about the missile launching system,?" the admiral continued.

"They hadn't done very much work. They were waiting for the ship to bring the heavy equipment to start digging. _Seaview_ sunk it after a little bit of trouble. She will be in Pearl for about a week. There was nothing to destroy. The farmers will be able to repair what damage was done to the land."

"Mrs. Crane I'm impressed at how you were able to out smart the guard," he said smiling.

"Well, the self defense class Lee made me take helped out," I told him softly.

"Commander, you better watch out, she might want to take on more missions."

"Sir, she has already taken on too many missions for my liking. Please don't encourage her," Lee replied with a grin.

((()))

While we were there, Admiral Rush told us that the ship had returned with the prisoners. He assured us that the ship wasn't docked anywhere near _Seaview._ He would call and make arrangements to send them back to the main land where they would stand trial for treason. He thanked us for our help and we were dismissed. We stood up, Lee saluted again and we left. I handed him his cover which he put on, he sure looks good in his uniform, cover and all.

((()))

We were driven back to _Seaview_ and headed directly to sick bay.

"Jamie how is he?" Lee asked as he saw Chip was still unconscious.

"There's no change. I'm giving him until tomorrow morning. If there is no improvement I'm sending him to the base hospital.

I spent the entire day with Chip. I held his hand and talked to him about anything I could think of. Things he hated to talk about didn't even help. I was getting hoarse talking to him but I didn't care, I just wanted him to wake up.

Lee and the admiral had to oversee the repairs and I was more than happy to do my part keeping watch over Chip. Some serious issues had come up and needed their attention. The cracks in the hull at frames forty five, forty seven and forty nine were taking more time to repair than they planned on but it should be done in two days.

((()))

Lee and I went to bed that night after I spent most of the day with Chip. I knew Lee felt guilty that he couldn't spend more time with him but there were a lot of repairs to oversee and Lee being Lee wouldn't let anyone else help him. I woke up in the middle of the night and he was gone.

"_Where the hell is Lee,"_ I panicked as I got out of the bunk. "_Damn,_ _he didn't leave me a note. He's in big trouble if something happened to Chip and he didn't wake me," _I thought knowing he was probably in sick bay.

I quickly put on some sweats and ran down to sick bay. Sure enough he was sitting there with Chip. I grabbed another chair and sat down next to him. I took his and Chip's hands and squeezed them.

"Why didn't you wake me?" I asked quietly.

"I couldn't stay away. I feel guilty I can't spend more time with him. He's always there for me," he said softly.

"Honey, we will stay an hour and then go back to our cabin. You are about to collapse." I said noticing the dark circles under his eyes were worse than before.

"Okay," he replied as he continued to talk to Chip.

After an hour I said we had to leave. If Jamie caught us in here he would have a fit. He banned us from staying the night. John was on duty tonight and promised Lee he would call him if anything changed.

As we walked back, I grabbed his hand. "Honey, I'm very worried about you. You are exhausted. Please let me stay with Chip while you take care of the repairs. I know you want to be there but you're going to end up in sick bay with him and what good would that be."

"Sweetie, I know, I am very tired. But I need to be there just to make sure he will be alright and to make sure those repairs will hold until we get to Santa Barbara," he said tiredly.

"You know that Jamie will call you if anything happens," I said softly.

"You're right," he said as we reached our cabin. He gave me a kiss as we climbed back in our bunk. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. I just laid there unable to fall back to sleep.

((()))

Lee and I went into sick bay first thing the next morning to check on Chip when Jamie told us he was going to send him to the base hospital.

"Jamie any change," Lee asked tiredly.

"No. I've made arrangements with a neurologist to check him out this morning. He needs more sophisticated tests to see what is going on in his brain." Jamie said somberly.

Jamie was getting things ready to move him when he started to stir and he moved quickly to his side and took his vitals.

"He's coming out of the coma," Jamie said as Lee and I sat down next to his bunk. I put my hand over his and he responded by grabbing my hand.

"You owe us a dinner, buddy. I got her into the harbor and docked without scratching the paint," Lee said softly.

"I buy when I see for myself," Chip responded groggily. "You think I'm going to believe you."

"Welcome back buddy," Lee said relieved.

"You still need to rest, so go back to sleep," Jamie told him.

"Kay," he said as he closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

We all breathed a sigh of relief. The admiral had just walked in the door as Chip came around and heard the banter between the two men and had to smile. His 'boys' would be back working together very soon.

((()))

I spent the whole day sitting with Chip. After no sleep last night I dozed off while waiting for him to wake up again. Lee and the admiral would be back to check on Chip after seeing how the repairs were coming along and then we were going to dinner. He woke up as they walked in. Lee saw me sleeping and had to chuckle that I was the one sleeping and Chip was awake. He picked me up and put me in the bunk next to Chip's.

######

"You must be pretty boring to put her asleep." Lee said smiling. "You sure had us worried."

"How long was I out," Chip asked as Jamie came over.

"Three days. You were about one hour away from going to the base hospital," Jamie replied. "How do you feel?"

"I have a headache, my ribs hurt when I move and my eye is swollen shut. I must have gotten a cut because there is a bandage on my forehead, but other than that I'm fine and hungry. What's for dinner?" Chip wanted to know grimacing as he tried to move to a more comfortable position.

"That's a good sign; you're on the road to recovery if you're hungry. I'll have Cookie bring up some dinner for us," Lee said as he called to the wardroom.

######

I was still sleeping while they ate dinner. Jamie told Lee and the admiral they needed to leave; even though Chip was better he still needed to rest. Lee was going to wake me up but Jamie said it was alright for me to stay there for the night. As soon as they left, Chip still very tired from his ordeal went back to sleep.

((()))

I awoke the next morning to find Chip and Lee eating breakfast.

"Good morning, sleepy head," Lee said as he came over to the bunk helping me up and gave me a kiss.

"How long have I been sleeping? Chip you're awake," I said surprised to see him up and eating. I went to Chip's bunk and gave him a gentle hug not wanting to hurt him.

"About nine hours. You fell asleep right before Chip woke up,"

"Sorry, I fell asleep, I couldn't stay awake. I didn't sleep very well the other night. Lee, can I have a piece of your toast, I'm starving," I asked him.

He gave me his toast and some of his eggs. I ate it and told him I was going to our cabin and get ready for the day. As I was walking out the admiral and Jamie walked in smiling, everyone was in a good mood this morning.

((()))

Now that Chip was going to be okay and the repairs to _Seaview_ were almost finished, Lee would get to take his day off. As a surprise, he booked us a room at a hotel so we could rest and relax before leaving for Santa Barbara tomorrow morning. We checked in and went to our room, it had a beautiful view of the beach.

"How about we go swimming?" Lee suggested.

"Okay, luckily for you I had a suit on board," I said laughing. I learned early on to be prepared for anything while on the boat.

We got ready to go down to the beach, but after taking one look at the king sized bed, we both knew going to the beach wasn't going to happen. We took off our suits and climbed in the bed, I snuggled up to Lee and we fell sound asleep. It was 5:00 in the afternoon when we woke up and neither one of us could believe we slept that long. After some intimate exercises (after all it's been awhile) we showered, dressed and went for dinner. After eating a fantastic dinner, we went for a walk on the beach.

"We've sure had hectic couple of weeks," I told Lee as we walked hand in hand.

"Too hectic for me," he replied. "Whatever happened to a simple research mission? I used to hate those but right now that would be a nice change."

"Getting to old for the job," I kidded him.

"Watch it my dear," he said picking me up and threatening to throw me in the water. He put me down and gave me a kiss which I gladly returned.

We walked a little farther before sitting down on the beach and stared at the waves; too many people around to do anything more. After watching the sunset we went back to our room, got into bed and promptly fell asleep. We had to be back at _Seaview_ before 0600 so Lee could prepare to leave Pearl.

We checked on Chip as soon as we got back. He was doing much better, but Jamie wouldn't let him out of sick bay for a couple more days. He wasn't too happy about that and he complained he didn't get to have his day off. Lee laughed and told him he had four days off.

While Lee went to check on the repairs, I stayed with Chip. Cookie had brought him a breakfast tray. He was as always very hungry.

"You have two pieces of toast there, can I please have one," I asked Chip hoping he would share. "We didn't have time for breakfast before we left the hotel. I won't get breakfast until Lee is done checking on the repairs and getting _Seaview_ out of the harbor."

"Sure," he said as handed me a piece of toast and a piece of bacon.

"Thank you. I will bring you another piece of toast and bacon when I come back," I told him smiling.

"Don't worry about it," he returned the smile. "It's the least I can do for you after rescuing me from the cell and sitting here with me. Yes, Jamie said you were here all the time and had to kick both you and Lee out."

"Where else would I be," I said giving him a hug.

((()))

Lee said I could come up to the conning tower as he maneuvered _Seaview_ out of the dock and into the harbor. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed watching Lee at work.

We went back to sick bay and I verified that Lee did not scratch the paint. I wasn't sure Chip believed me; he thought I was a little prejudiced. I would get to pick the restaurant so Chip knew he was in trouble. I always picked Giovanni's when Lee won a bet. It was our favorite place to eat but we would have to wait awhile before collecting on our dinner until Chip was feeling better.

((()))

After one more day in sick bay Chip was released to his cabin. He wouldn't be allowed to return to duty until we got back to Santa Barbara and then it would be light duty only. He would have to work at the office and not on _Seaview_ which went over like a lead balloon_._

Lee would oversee the repairs to _Seaview_ along with the admiral and Chief Sharkey. It would take a couple of weeks before everything was completed. There would be a lot of work for us to catch up on at NIMR. I would have a mound of mail and paperwork to do after being gone for over two weeks but at least we were finally home.

But who knows for how long.

The End.

* Used with permission from K. Corris

** See my story, _A New ONI Agent?_

*** See my story, _A Watch Doesn't Just Tell Time_


End file.
